Room of Angel
by Axel's Ashes
Summary: .:This is the part where you close your eyes:. That was supposed to be his hand Axel's was in... not hers. .:RoxasAxelLarxene, AU, Character Death, Oneshot:.


Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters. The ending lyrics are from the song "Room of Angel" and they don't belong to me, either.

I was half asleep when I thought of this. It was both a nightmare and a stream of wishful thinking.

* * *

Roxas loved Axel. Axel loved Roxas. The sky is blue, a rose is red, and a violet is blue. The sun will rise every morning and set every evening.

But one day, the sun didn't come up. The sky turned a shade all too similar to blood. The roses turned black and the violets, dying within themselves, became grey. A woman in red came, and Axel was no longer by Roxas's side. Just for a little while, the world stopped turning.

Roxas and Axel weren't together anymore. Axel was happy with _that woman_. Roxas could no longer hear the songs of birds; only the screaming of harpies. He could no longer hear the whistling of a passing zephyr; it was slaughtered by the bloodcurdling sound of nails sliding down a mirror. Every step he took – every time his foot fell against the ground – a loud echo filled his ears and he could almost see it pass through the hall around him. It would weaken his knees like a tremor. Sometimes it would stop his heart.

The world around him fell into darkness with the sun's fire stolen. _His_ fire.

There was a black hole in his chest. A dark, gaping hole that stared at him through the mirror like a great demon's eye. Sometimes Roxas would stand at the mirror just to gaze at it. There was no particular reason to this; it simply was. Perhaps the boy was mesmerized by it. Perhaps he could glimpse old memories through its iris. Most importantly, perhaps he could see Axel. But then…

The pain always came. He would clutch at his chest, at that evil eye, breathless and hurt. His skin would burn with an ice that should not be known to skin. He would feel every part of him burning. He would feel his eyes melting out of their sockets, streaming down his face like tears of acid. And then he would feel the arms of his sister, thin and fragile a doll she was, wrapped around him in a sort of comfort only she could give. For a moment, Roxas didn't feel the pain, and – if only for a blissful moment – he wouldn't even remember who Axel was. His beloved Naminé would hold him close to her and allow him to look only into her eyes; he was not allowed to gaze into that malicious eye. She would rock him back and forth and whisper sweet nothings into his ear, ones that only a sister could give her darling brother.

But sometimes Naminé wasn't there. She wasn't allowed at school, after all. It was a…family policy. Roxas knew he shouldn't be at school anymore if he was that unstable, but he _wanted_ to be there. Perhaps it was some masochistic intention, or perhaps it was a genuine regard for the educational system. Probably only Naminé could tell you. But she was always at home. She was there, waiting for Roxas. As soon as he walked in the door of that wretchedly large house, she would be there to hold him and tell him that he was strong and that he can do anything.

But Naminé could not make the violets blue. Naminé could not make the roses red. Naminé could not bring the sun back. She could give warmth that would last as a match does when struck; only a little while. The cold always came back for Roxas.

And then Halloween came, and it was a full moon. Roxas told his friends – with a seemingly true smile – that he would not be able to go trick-or-treating with them. Something came up and his elder brother just _wouldn't_ let him go. Cloud went along with it, as he knew the circumstances, saying that Roxas was going to pay for that comment on Leon.

Unfortunately, Axel did not know the circumstances.

It could hardly be helped; Larxene was a lovely, cruel individual. Roxas didn't hate her for her cruelty, though. He didn't even hate her because she was with Axel. He hated her because she could make him happier than Roxas knew he ever could. Roxas hated Larxene for every bright smile on Axel's face. He hated her for every bright laugh that belonged to something she said and not something Roxas said. Roxas hated her for every time she helped him burn something down. Because Roxas wasn't there anymore, and he wasn't making Axel happy.

_She_ was.

Those were _his_ ashes. That was _his_ smile. That was _his_ laugh. That was supposed to be _his_ hand Axel's was in. That was… _his_ hand…with the terribly warm skin that should have been such a nuisance…the dry flesh…the fingers twined with his.

It was not supposed to be hers.

"Hey, Axel. Where does that blond kid live?" asked an excited Larxene. The twinkle in her eye should have been warning enough for Axel not to answer; that sliver of ice lodged in her iris should have told him. The smirk she was wearing should have said something. The fact that she was _Larxene_ should have said something.

But it didn't.

"Blond kid?" asked Axel, rather than change the subject. He knew who she was talking about, but decided to let her explain anyway.

"You know, the one you went out with."

"Roxas."

"Yeah. Where's he live?"

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Why, Larxene?"

"I just wanna see him. Say 'Happy Halloween' and all."

Axel was skeptical, but let it slide. After all, he didn't mind the thought of saying hello to Roxas. He hadn't spoken to the blond in awhile, after all, and they were supposed to still be friends. It worried Axel what could possibly be going through Roxas's head. So it wasn't too long before a blonde vampire and a redheaded serial killer arrived at the front door of Roxas's mansion-house.

The way the wind blew and the night seemed to grow darker was an ominous welcome. The couple standing before the door was oblivious. The house even seemed to shudder, shouting a warning to "Run, go away, leave!"

A group of trick-or-treaters of various ages walked by behind Axel and Larxene. The blond glared at them, earning her a few insults screamed in her general direction. Axel ignored her, waiting for that damn door to open. He knew they were home. He _knew_ they were.

Cloud opened the door. He stared at Axel with an animosity that would put fire to shame. He seemed to debate closing the door again, and Axel would have let him and dragged Larxene away. He would have. But Larxene shoved the door open. It was obvious Cloud could overpower her, yet she seemed to have no trouble in forcing open that door. It was a greeting Axel did not miss.

"Hey, where's Roxas? I wanna talk to him," she said. There were quiet footsteps, heels against marble, and a young woman dressed in white appeared behind Cloud. Axel thought she was Roxas for a moment. After all, it was Halloween.

"Cloud, I don't think you should let her in. Roxas would not like it," she said, an urgent undertone in her voice. She smiled crookedly at Axel, who was still standing outside. She read the confusion in his aqua eyes, and her smile warped even more. She was silent for a time, as though in great thought.

"I am Roxas's twin sister," she said softly.

Axel spluttered. "I-I've been here before. You've never been here. Roxas's never mentioned you. I didn't know he had a twin sister."

Naminé's crooked, warped smile melted into a wickedness that could no longer be considered a smile. Her eyes glistened with an evil that Larxene's could never mimic. "I know," she said simply.

Larxene was understanding none of the situation, and did not care one way or the other. She had her goal and was set to accomplish it. "Hey, I asked where Roxas is!" she shouted. Cloud passed Naminé a look, and they shared that stare for a very long time. Axel swore they were speaking to each other.

"I understand," said Cloud. Before Larxene could comment, Naminé returned her gaze to the tall, blonde woman.

"I will take you to him, then," she said. She paused, nodding to some unspoken voice, then gracefully turned on her heels and headed down the hall. Larxene followed. Axel was dragged along by the woman who had somehow grabbed his hand when he wasn't paying attention.

Axel had seen most of the house before, having practically _lived_ there for such a long time. He knew this was a bad idea, but he also knew that Larxene would not take his advice and leave. Not after that wait. And he swore that wall just moved. And that shadow flickered like a flame. It was then he came to the brilliant conclusion that something was indeed wrong. It was a full moon. Axel never saw Roxas on a full moon.

"Stop shaking, dumbass," Larxene spat. Axel was less concerned with her comment and more concerned with the expression of the mysterious twin sister he never knew existed. The nameless doll's face was not to be seen, however, as her back was turned.

Then it occurred to Axel, suddenly, that they were in a part of the house he'd never been in before. The group came to a large, black door that loomed over them like an inauspicious demon. The large door opened without Naminé ever having touched it, and she beckoned the pair in as she was swallowed by the darkness within whatever lay beyond the black doorway. Larxene did not pause; she dragged Axel in after Naminé immediately.

The door shut behind them, but Larxene appeared unfazed. Naminé held a torch in her hand, now, and all that was visible was a narrow staircase. A staircase leading down into the dismal depths of a black and grey hell; a hell with blackened trees and burning corpses and a wasteland that stretched on forever and ever. And in all the time it took Axel to be tormented by the visions that plagued his mind, it was suddenly an hour later and they stood before a large, shining white door.

Naminé appeared disturbingly submissive. Her superior air faded into the darkness around her and her gentle appearance was no longer tainted by the cold. She was a glass doll now, and no longer an ice sculpture. She knocked quietly on the large door – the sound was barely audible even to Axel.

The door opened slowly; Naminé waited, then stepped inside.

"Roxas, I…"

"It's alright, Naminé. Thank you."

"I don't think you should do this," whispered the girl. Larxene pulled Axel through the doorway. Axel realized then that he hadn't seen nor heard Larxene since they began their walk. She now appeared pale. Her eyes, upon seeing the white figure laying on the floor at the back of the small, blindingly white room, died. Her hand suddenly became cold as ice, and Axel's reaction was abrupt. He yanked his hand away and took a step back. But his eyes weren't on Larxene anymore.

They were on Roxas.

The small boy stood shakily, weakly managing to stay on his feet. Around his wrists and ankles were chains. Chains that bound him to the wall behind him. Chains that were wrapped around his neck so tightly that blood was pouring profusely.

Axel ran past Larxene, ignoring his girlfriend and ignoring the pleading expression Naminé held for just a moment as she reached out to stop him. The action was only half-heated, however, and she allowed him to approach her brother.

"Roxas, what's going on? What did they do to you?" Axel asked fervently. Roxas tilted his head to the side, smiling a sad and wistful smile. Axel felt all the pain that poured out with the smile, like the blood to the wound on the blond's neck.

The redhead hurriedly removed the chain. Roxas closed his eyes as Axel placed his hands on the red wring circling the younger boy's throat. "Axel," Roxas said distantly. It was almost a call, as though to make sure Axel was really standing there.

"Yeah?" inquired Axel. Roxas's eyes opened. They were no longer the familiar sapphires of the boy Axel once loved dearly; they were beads of darkness with no comfort or love or light. Axel heard a click behind him and whirled around in time to watch Larxene begin to melt. The blonde woman reached out towards Axel, the skin dripping off her hands and pooling on the floor. Eventually she was nothing but a puddle of melted skin and blood; her bones were nowhere to be found.

Axel turned back to Roxas, alarmed to find tears of black falling from the onyx jewels embedded in his face. Even as unfamiliar as Roxas looked, Axel could still find the wistfulness and sorrow in his eyes. He reached down, almost absentmindedly, to grab Roxas's hand. He held the small, cold thing in his hands, tears of his own rolling down his cheeks.

"Roxas, I—"

"Axel." The voice was commanding. Axel froze at once.

Roxas pulled his hand away from Axel, taking both hands and placing them on either side of Axel's face. He stared solemnly into the eyes that were not green and not blue but something else that should not have been allowed. The glistening eyes that had once belonged to him. The eyes that had once eyed him with a fondness that made his heart swell. Roxas held his fire in his hands, and even though it was only for a short time, he felt complete again. The demonic eye in his chest was silent; he almost remembered what it was like having a heart.

It was so… familiar… so… close…

…but it was not his. Not anymore. It was gone and it was not coming back. No matter how hard he wished, the fire would not simply start again.

He didn't have a heart. He lost it a long time ago.

"This is the part where you close your eyes."

* * *

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes…_

_It was always you that I despised…_

_I don't feel enough for you to cry…_

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes…_

_Goodbye…_

* * *

Room of Angel : THE END! Woo!


End file.
